Slice of Life
by redcristal
Summary: Slices of Life of Houses in Westeros. Like Ashara Dayne, Lyanna Stark, Joanna Lannister...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing BUT OC**

 **JUST** **BECAUSE**

 **Names of Months in Westeros:**

1 Mazātl (Deer)

2 Ehēcatl (Wind)

3 Ātl (Water)

4\. Atemoztli (Descent of the Water)

5 Xōchitl (Flower)

6 Malīnalli (Grass)

7 Tititl (Stretching for Growth)

8 Calli (house)

9 Ācatl (Reed)

10 Cuāuhtli (Eagle)

11 Tecpatl (Flint)

12 Quiyahuitl (Rain)

13 Toxcatl (Dryness)

14 Izcalli (Encouragement for the Land & People)

Each month has 4 weeks, week has 7 days.


	2. Chapter 2: Lyanna Stark

**_***** Winterfell 280 AC*****_**

Lyanna Stark was walking from the window to the door and back again, her curly stable brown hair flowing behind her and her slim frame trembling in fury as her eyes flashed like the fangs of a she-wolf __chasing__ the male _**_**she**_**_ _ ** _ **did**_**_ ** **not**** ** **want**** , __away__.

Lyanna was not bothered by the child in the Vale – Mya Stone – she was bothered by Robert's deeds, or lack of them. His apparent lack of concern for women he bedded – and the children as some of the poor girl's belly swelled. Mya Stone and this babe in the Marion belly would not be his only child at the rate he was going through the scullery maids at Winterfell. Fortunately, Hullen, son of Master of Hoses Hurin, agreed to wed Marion before she started to show that she was with child.

"Love is sweet, dearest Ned, but it won't change Robert's nature," she had said to Ned at the fire place this evening, when their father told them, that when she reaches the age of six and ten, her betrothal to Robert Baratheon would be announced. Poor Ned was ecstatic for both of them. Robert hooted in glee and gave a hearty slap on her brother's shoulder.

 _ _Did__ anybody __ask__ her?

 ** **No****.

Did ****Robert**** himself ****talk**** to ****her**** during his stay? **__**Not a word**__** was exchanged between them, except greetings, during his stay.

Her father?

 _ _No__. He was to enamored with his ambition of marrying all his children into the South.

Brandon was to be wed to that Tully girl. Lyanna had met Catelyn and Lysa Tully when she traveled with Brandon and their father to Riverrun Benjen stayed behind as a Stark of Winterfell-the two redheads were as interesting as fishes.

Brandon was bored with the girl – who was all sweet smiles and courtesies. Brandon complained that that was all his betrothed was, sweet as a lemon cake and nothing else. Her older brother Bran was not at Winterfell currently – or Robert would already be black and blue because of his behavior. Benjen's glares at Lord Baratheon when he ignored her as he groped the poor serving girl that passed him should have frozen him to the spot – if the look could have done that, there would be an icicle in Robert's place. Rickard now set up the betrothal of herself with the Stag. As if a she-wolf would mate with her prey. She'd rather marry Roose Bolton. Or run away to the Summer Islands and work as courtesan. Or make sure that a Wildling would steal her away. She did harbor one – Mance he said he was called. Apparently he was of the Free Folk and he was raised by the Night's Watch. The next marriage victim of her father was Ned – quiet Ned.

Father sent a letter to Tywin Lannister asking for his daughter Cersei's hand for his second son. Ned was set to get Moat Cailin. Or, if Lady Cersei Lannister was not available, he had already written to Lord Luthor Tyrell for his daughter Lady Mina's hand. If the Lord of the Rock sent his refusal, he'd send a letter to the Reach; if Tywin should accept, Lady Mina would get a proposal to wed Benjen, her baby brother.

Her angry stomping across her room was interrupted with a timid rap on her door.

"Lya? Are you asleep?"

"No, I'm not, Ned."

"Can I come in?" She wanted to tell him to go away, to return to Robert or better yet that Ned should have wed Robert instead of her. That would have solved many problems, and with that thought she opened the door.

Ned took a step back when he saw her face. "This is a bad time … I just … I mean..."

"Come in, Ned," she said, when he slipped passed her, she caught her reflection in the mirror in her room. A wild look in her eyes, a wide smile that showed her teeth, and an all around wolfish expression on her face. No wonder sweet, calm, and quiet Ned wanted to run from her. She smoothed her expression into something sweeter and clasped her hands before her, like she often saw her mother Lyarra do when she was alive. That seemed to do the trick in calming her brother.

"What did you need, Ned?" she asked as she sat on her bed while Ned took the chair.

"About Robert, Lya, he is a good man and as handsome as a maiden would dream..." Ned started to say and it took a lot of Lyanna's patience to not __toss__ her brother into Robert's __bed__.

"Ned, I don't want to hear your wax poetry of Robert's virtues ..." she finally snapped.

"He'll be a good husband to you."

" _ _No__ ," she asserted. "He is not going to be a good husband – it is not in Robert's nature to be a husband," just as it wasn't in Lyanna's to be a meek lady, and she knew herself well enough to know that this match would be a disaster.

Robert craved constant praise, attention, and admiration. It is why he and Ned were such great friends; their natures just meshed well, like bread and milk. Even if she turned a blind eye to Robert's philandering the Heart Trees know he'll never stop chasing skirts and decided to uphold the Northerner tradition of bastard treatment – that any natural born Child of the Blood has to be taken care for – she'd probably bankrupt House Baratheon. No it was complete disregard of her as a person that she resented Baratheon for.

"If this is about Mya Stone ..."

"Ned, I'm of the North – if you recall we do not blame child for their parents' deeds. And any child of the Stark house is well provided for. Just look at Dalla Snow – our half sister … ahh you did not know; she was born two years after Benjen. Also Brandon has got a son with a miller's daughter – father arranged for the girl to be wed to a crofter and paid twenty golden dragons for the child's upkeep."


	3. Chapter 3: Ashara Dayne

**Ashara's Lement**

She replayed the scenes of when she and the Princess of Dorne first met the Starks of Winterfell on that fateful Tourney at Harrenhal – that lasted for ten days, with seven day long competitions. The first day, lords and ladies arrived and raised their tents and made merry, and after midday the first competition – tourney of singers took place and lasted till nightfall.

At the feast that night Prince Rhaegar sang and played on his silver string harp – leaving many a woman crying.

On the second day, Aerys II Targaryen the Lord of Seven Kingdoms, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, announced the beginning of the tourney – started with seven-sided melee with seven lords; the lords had five men bearing their colors of the realm competing in an ancient style that simulated a battle on the horseback.

The third day was an archery contest, an axe-throwing contest and a horse race, and on the fourth day, the jousting matches started - there was five days allotted to the joust.

At the end of the second tourney day, Lady Ashara Dayne of Starfall had meet Lady Lyanna Stark of Winterfell. Lyanna was the first of the Stark's that Ashara had met.

Lyanna might not have been a great beauty, like Cersei Lannister, the lioness with her long gold hair, emerald eyes, and curvy figure and a face that turned many a man unwise enough to look deeper than her looks and see ruthless ambition underneath.

But the daughter of Winterfell made a striking and lasting impression to all that took the time to get to know her. She had curly dark brown hair, very fair skin, and enchanting large silver grey eyes.

It was the meeting Ashara wouldn't soon forget; she was careless not asking her brother to accompany her, the second part of the jousting would have started the next day, and even the nights were hot – so Ashara stepped out for a bit of fresh night air.

It was an eventful second day of the jousting competition, and the third day of the Tourney of Harrenhal. The appetence of the Mystery knight – that was dubbed the name of Knight of the Laughing Tree, who was named thus because of the blazon on his shield – a smiling weirwood heart three. He arrived in the late afternoon and challenged three knights that won their place among the champions – with a booming voice that reminded Ashara of the plays she, her brother, and younger sister played. Allyria would put the iron bucket over her head and shout as she searched for them– her voice boomed just as well as this mystery man's voice did.

The knight, even with his small stature and mismatched and shabby armor, won all three tilts against the Knights of Houses: Haigh, Blount and Frey. Winning custody over their horses and armor, none of them were particularly popular, so the smallfolk cheered for the mysterious knight. When the defeated trio sought to ransom their former property, the knight declared his intriguing terms;

"My Lords!" his voice boomed across the field, "You but only have to teach your rude squires honor. And then you may keep your belongings."

True to form, the trio of defeated lords proceeded to chastise their squires sharply right then and there.

She closed her eyes for but a moment when a drunk lording approached her. Ashara did not recognize him at first. Not until he stepped closer to the light.

It was Lord of Storm's End, the man that won a seven-sided melee in ancient style on the second day of the tourney. He unhorsed many and taken opposing Lord's as hostages; they had to pay him golden dragons or surrender their horses and armor.

Beside him was Ser Richard Lonmouth, his drinking companion, Ashara remembered them boasting about how they would unmask the Knight of the Laughing Tree.

"My Lady," the dark haired, blue eyed man slurred. Ashara's nose wrinkled, yes she was not a virgin, and yes she was Dornish and Dornish don't frown on sex between two consenting parties. But she was drawing a line before drunken lusty pigs, who only think of their own pleasure and not of their partners as well.

She was a Lady in Waiting for Princess Elia and she knew well of what kind of man Robert Baratheon was.

"My Lady," Lord Baratheon slurred his words, "you know what I like in a woman?" he asked.

Ashara raised both her eyebrows. "No, nor do I care too."

"My dick," he laughed uproariously.

"And your humor is sorely lacking … now if you would excuse me…"

"Hey, hey lady..."

"Unhand me right this instance," Ashara hissed, but Baratheon paid her no heed, neither did his wandering hands; alright then, she thought, and twisted in his hold reaching downward and squeezed.

"This is all of me your dick will ever have."

Robert yelled and pushed her away, and then his companion advanced on her.

"Hey, leave her alone!" a woman's voice shouted, and something rectangular hit the advancing lordlings – hard – because they toppled to the ground cursing to the seven hells and clutching their heads.

The woman had a cape with a hood that covered her features. "Come on, hurry." She beckoned. Even more intrigued Ashara followed her, but then as they passed Princess Elia's tent, she halted the woman, "This way," Ashara whispered.

"Ash what's wrong" Elia stood up from the chair she was sitting in by the fire.

Ashara quickly grabbed her rescuers wrist, before she could flee back into the night. Then Ashara heard a soft curse as the veiled woman curtsied before the Princess.

"Your Highness," Ashara greeted, "I was just assaulted by Lord Robert of Storm's End and his little friend." Interesting, at Robert's name the woman flinched. "This woman here hit him with this and we fled away." She motioned to the object in the woman's hand.

"You rescued my dear friend, would you entrust us with your name?" Elia said kindly.

"Yes your highness." The woman rose to her full height, which wasn't much; she was smaller in stature than Ashara and Elia were and pulled her hood down.

"I'm Lyanna Stark."

After that she and Lyanna with Elia talked until the Prince came to see his wife. It was Prince Rhaegar who noticed what the object really was and deduced Lyanna's connection to the mystery knight.

In the end they hidden the shield in Elia's tent and when the King declared the mystery knight his enemy, and the manhunt began, Rhaegar brought the shield to his father and spun the tale of finding it in a tree.

It was during the tourney when Ashara was introduced to Brandon and they carried well enough together. Well enough that Brandon Stark proposed to her, and considering she was carrying his child, she agreed and at the end of the tourney they wed at the Isle of Faces.

The days after their meeting passed, and then months, she had given birth at Starfall; she kept quiet because she wanted to surprise Brandon with their child. But it wasn't meant to be – their healthy daughter that was kicking strongly in her womb – was stillborn.

That was not the end of it…Elia had written of the King's displease and threats he uttered to the Princess – she was fearing for her life. Lyanna feared for herself as well, because apparently the betrothal between Robert and her was blessed by the King. Lyanna however didn't want to marry Robert Baratheon. Ashara could sympathize Robert would not make good husband to any woman.

Then one day a letter came, where Elia wrote that they found the solution to their problems; Rhaegar would wed Lyanna, making her and Elia sister wives.

Ashara agreed, having more than one wife was not forbidden for a Targaryen by the Faith of the Seven. They tried, but even then the High Septon was an uncle to the King's Wife. So it was prestige the High Septon was concerned about.

Lyanna and Rhaegar wed by the heart tree on the Isle of Faces; the witnesses of the procedure were Princess Elia Martell, Ashara's her brother Arthur Dayne, Ser Oswell Whent of the Kingsguard, his brother Lord Walter Walter and Lady Shella Whent, along with the woods witch that lived on the isle.

It was too much for her now, first she lost Brandon, and he intended to end the betrothal to the Tully girl because he married Ashara in secret, at the Isle of Faces before the Old Gods, when he rode for Riverrun on that day. But then all reason left him and he went to King's Landing and committed treason by calling for royal blood.

If there was a sane King sitting on the Iron Throne, Brandon Stark might have survived his folly. But it was not so, for King Aerys II Targaryen was descending into madness and paranoia as the years progressed.

Brandon Stark and his father Rickard died on the same day. Some months later, after singing Dornish lullabies to her kicking child – her daughter was born – it was a stillbirth.

Then Eddard Stark, her husband's younger brother, brought the great sword of the house Dayne, Dawn, to Starfall and with the Dayne family's sword news of the death of her brother.

Arthur was dead, Lyanna and Elia were dead, their babies with them, and her daughter was stillborn; she had nothing to live for – so one day she decided to end it. Humming the lullaby she always hummed to her unborn yet daughter, she made to jump off the cliffs.


	4. Chapter 4: Lannister

*******Bella Lannister-1*******

***King's Landing, 291 AC Cuāuhtli or 10th month****

Bella took a bow before her Queen, her friend Joanna's daughter, and retired for the night. Sometimes Cersei reminded Bella of her natural father, granted Joanna was not certain at the time she was carrying, or even after, which man was the natural father of the twins. King Aerys II Targaryen or Lord Tywin Lannister. It was Bella who knew what transpired between her cousin Joanna and the King – and later made the connection. Both Cersei and Jaime had Lannister coloring and some of the features, but for anyone who looked more closely, there were echoes of features of Valyria on Cersei's face. But not on Jaime's.

 _ _Could it be that the__ _ ** _ **twins**_**_ _ _had__ _ ** _ **different**_**_ _ ** _ **fathers**_**_ _ _?__

It was never documented in humans, but it was quite possible in the animal world. It was a possibility then that Cersei was Aerys Targaryen's daughter and Jaime was fathered by Tywin. After all, Joanna, upon leaving court, stopped drinking the Moon Tea that Bella brewed for her twice a day one she drank in the morning and the other at high noon. Because Queen Rhaella might have turned her head at her husband's paramour, but she could not abide a child to come into being from the union of Aerys and Joanna. Bella remembered the conversation between the three of them; she was present on the day that Lady Joanna joined the then Princess Rhaella Targaryen as a Lady in Waiting.

Bella Lannister was serving as a handmaiden to her cousin and came to court after Joanna served for two moons.

 ** _ *****Red Keep, King's Landing 259 AC -3th Month/ Ātl*****_**

Bella arrived to King's Landing as a handmaiden of Lady Joanna Lannister, her cousin, two moons ago, and now she was standing behind her cousin in the presence of Princess Rhaella – while they were drinking tea and eating cakes in Princess Rhaella private chamber. There were only the three of them. Joanna served as Princess Rhaella's Lady in Waiting since before the wedding of Prince Aerys to Princess Rhaella. Bella had, while serving as her cousin's handmaiden, the opportunity to observe the Royal Family – and breathe a sigh of relief when she saw that the Grand Maester that served in the Red Keep had not seen the Citadel in years, even the youngest of the maesters that served in King's Landing did not look familiar.

That was good; until her hair grew back in full, she could have been recognized – or not, as Marwyn was found of saying "The people who ran the Citadel are of the mind that knowledge is the greatest power. And the world they will build has no place for magic, prophecies, and dragons. But they can be woefully blind to reality – like blind to a little girl studying in the Citadel."

King Aegon the Fifth or Aegon the Unlikely was tall, slender, and handsome with shoulder length beaten gold hair with strands of silver – and gray. With eyes so dark purple that they were black. Her Master Marwyn often told her that the King Aegon was the greatest King because he honestly saw peasantry and lowborn as people. His wife Queen Betha of House Blackwood did not hold to the Seven, and so the Septon was not particularly pleased with her as a Queen. When King Aegon was merely the fourth son and fifth child of then Prince Maekar Targaryen and his five Dyanna Dayne – it was none of the High Septon's concerns whom Prince Aegon wed. Queen Betha was a high spirited woman – with raven dark hair and coal colored eyes; her moniker as Black Betha was well deserved because of her coloring. They had five children together; Bella had met them all.

 _ _Prince Duncan__ , their first born, was as black haired as his mother, but he inherited his father's eyes and body build. Bella thought that he was a good man and would make an even greater King than his father if he did not abdicate the crown, but Bella supposed, the love he and Jenny, strange, lovely, and mysterious Jenny of Oldstones held for each other was worth losing the Iron Throne.

With that, __Prince Jaehaerys__ became the heir to the throne. Unlike Prince Duncan's dark looks, Prince Jaehaerys was sickly looking, with large and protruding purple eyes, pale skin, and long platinum hair. He married his sister __Princess Shaera__ – who was a real beauty with her slim curvaceous figure and long Targaryen silver-gold hair and a heart-shaped face. The beauty that her daughter Princess Rhaella shared, she was wed to Prince Aerys – her elder brother.

Next of Kings issue was __Prince Daeron,__ who was fond of horses and swordplay. He had a pretty face with light lilac eyes and hair like polished silver – he was often found in the yard with his friend Ser Jeremy Norridge. Prince Daeron refused to marry Lady Olenna of House Redwyne, preferring to remain unwed. Lady Olenna married the Hair of Highgarden instead of Targaryen Prince.

The last child, __Princess Rhaelle__ , was a future Lady of Storm's End – unlike her sister, Princess Rhaelle was more rounded in body – though her face was sharper than her sister Shaera's. Her hair was more golden toned than silver, and her eyes were dark purple as were her father's.

"Lady Joanna, is your handmaiden…trustworthy?" the Princess suddenly asked, pulling Bella back to the Princess and Lady Joanna's conversation.

"Yes, Your Grace," Joanna confirmed.

Well of course _ _she was trustworthy__ , as it was __she__ who brewed Joanna's Moon Tea ever since her and Prince Aerys ...

"Joanna," Princess Rhaella sipped her tea daintily, "I'm aware of your liaison with my brother. No, you don't need to say anything only listen … I'm with child for four moons now, and I am well aware of my brother's and husband's fondness of you."

"I'm taking Moon's Tea, Your Grace," Joanna interrupted, her face closed off. Bella was aware of the Princess Rhaella's violet gaze on them both.

"I'm brewing it myself, Your Grace," Bella demurred, her eyes downcast; it was discontenting when that violet gaze settled on her.

"My cousin is very talented, Your Grace," Joanna assured the Princess who was still studying her – Bella could feel when Princess's gaze stop at her short hair.

"Lady …?" the Princess trailed off, the wing-like silver eyebrow raised, questioning.

"Bella Lannister, You grace." Bella said and curtsied. "I'm a distant cousin of Lady Joanna," she elaborated.

Her grandmother was Alysanne Farman's first wife and Gerold Lannister's daughter; they had a son they named Cellion Lannister. Cellion wed Rochelle Reyne of Castmere, and Bella was their only offspring for many years.

"Lady Bella, what happened to your hair?" Princess Rhaella suddenly asked.

"I cut it off, Your Grace," Joanna answered, praying 'please don't ask me why I did that.'Because the usual answer she gave was lice infestation.

"I see," Princess said, and Bella almost asked what is it was she saw. "There will come a time when you'll wed Tywin Lannister – then you will have to stop taking the tea." This was directed to Lady Joanna.

"No, Your Grace," At that, the Princess's eyes winded and her face took a curious cast. "Don't get me wrong, Your Grace – I would like to have children eventually..."

"But not with your husband? Or rather, the first child you'd want fathered by a man you love – the man you surrendered your maidenhead too?" The Princess smiled at Joanna's shocked expression. "As I've said, I'm well aware of the regard you bear for Aerys and the regard my brother bears for you – ever since you had seen each other before our marriage. I know my brother and what I saw when he was …." the princess bowed her head. "I know my duty; I will give my husband an heir – but I won't – I can not love him as a wife should, and I never will. Aerys feels the same – if he had an opinion he would have married you, Lady Joanna." Then she met Joanna's eye – green meeting violet. "After you marry Lord Tywin, you may stay for a year and a half, then I will request for you to leave my services."

 ** _ *****King's Landing 8th Month/ Ācatl*****_**

It was a somber affair – empty funeral piers for the royal family were burning for King and Queen, for Prince Duncan and his wife Jenny of Oldstones who perished in the fires that took over Summerhall. Right before the burning piers was King Jaeharys, the Second of His Name, wearing his grandfather's King Maker crown with his sister-wife Queen Shaera. Their heads bowed in mourning.

Behind them stood their surviving brother Prince Daeron and their son Aerys and his sister-wife Rhaella who was holding her son Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. However, Bella was happy for her friend and cousin Joanna, for her marriage to her first cousin Tywin Lannister – Heir to Casterly Rock was pro-spooned for another year.

 ** _ *****260 AC*****_**

Bella still lived in the Red Keep; there was a War of the Ninepenny Kings that claimed the life of Prince Daeron. Tywin was knighted. The death of Maelys Blackfyre was one of two good things that came from this war …. the other was the postponement of marriage of Joanna to Tywin. Because Tywin was … occupied with war.

 ** _ *****261 AC*****_**

Marriage pro-spooned, again. This time because there was some domestic issues. Joanna advised her that showcasing that she was related to the Red Lions of Castamere was not prudent. Bella still recalled the fierce rivalry between Lady Ellyn Lannister from House Reyne and Lady Jejyne Lannister of House Marbrand, wife of Tytos, father of Tywin Lannister. Bella mourned her family – the guilty and innocent when Tywin and all bards that Bella heard sing that accursed song. They developed a case of sore throats – singing birds turned into croaking frogs at least in King's Landing.

 ** _ *****262 AC*****_**

Bella felt vindictive pleasure when the marriage again pro-spooned because King Jaehaerys died of illness and then because Aerys was crowned. The new King named Tywin Hand of the King. She was half tempted to start brewing tincture that would render Tywin unable to sire children.

 ** _ *****263 AC*****_**

This year bared witness to two sad events in Bella's humble opinion.

Tywin married Joanna. Bella was developing quite a dislike for Tywin and his hanger on and bootlicker Pycelle. The Grand Maester was constantly singing praises about him. He conducted a physical search on Joanna because Tywin lamented lack of begotten an heir.

Pycelle had given her a tonic that should have solved the problem – but there was none so they poured it into the privy. Bella ruffled Pycelle's feathers, asking to give Tywin a physical inspection if he was the one with the inability to sire children. The sputtering that resulted in that was entertaining. The other sad news was that Queen Rhaella had another miscarriage. Bella was present and the baby was too young to survive outside the Queen's womb.

It was a beautiful babe it was a shame that it was no longer of this world.

 ** _ *****265 AC / Tititl *****_**

Two years passed and in the seventh month – Tititl – Bella accompanied Joanna back to the Rock. They were on the Kingsroad in a closed wheelhouse.

"I will miss him," Joanna whispered.

"At least you'll be able to stop taking it," Bella whispered back – and by it, she meant the Moon Tea. She brewed this tea for Joanna many times that she was beginning to worry about Joanna's health, as her moon's blood almost disappeared. Bella had to gradually lower the dosage of ingredients before they left King's Landing. Now Joanna had two bleeds a month and one month without any. Bella hoped this would correct itself, otherwise Joanna would be fertile, twice, only every per second month. Fortunately, the man she loved and the man she was married to both stayed in the Red Keep. It would be a while until Tywin returned to the Rock.

 ** _ *****Westerlands; Casterly Rock 265 AC 14. Month/ Izcalli*****_**

There was a great hunt held in Westerlands. For the Westerlands were known for three things:

Lannisters – The Golden Lions of Casterly Rock.

The gold that rested in their mines.

And lions, the great felines that hunted the plains and mountains and hills of the region. And it was because of those lions that Tywin and the King would come to hunt. Bella was watching the tapestry that depicted the lion hunt. Men mounted and on foot and driving chariots carrying spears and swords and bows. The hunting dogs bred specificity to hunt lions ran before them.

"Lady Bella," the serving girl bobbed her head, "Lady Lannister wishes to see you."

 ** _ *****Hours later*****_**

Tywin rode to the Rock to warn of the coming of the Royal hunting party, and Bella managed to do what Joanna bid of her – to give King Aerys a sealed letter from her lady, requesting a meeting. The King wrote a quick reply... That she handed to Joanna in the privacy of her rooms.

"He agrees to meet," Joanna said.

"Of course he does," Bella nodded, "and I'll make sure I'm seen with him."

"If that is alright with you, for some men …."

"My lady, I have no desire to marry anyone. There is enough Lannisters, and as Lady Bella Lannister, my dowry is meager, and I can **__**not**__** ** **claim**** ** _ _ **my mother's heritage**__**."

"I'm sorry, Bella." "Don't be, Joanna."

 ** _ *****Casterly Rock*****_**

The night had fallen, and Bella was holding a candle at the secret entrance to The Rock. She was waiting for the King and his most loyal Kingsguard to arrive, and sure soon from the dark, two riders appeared. Strange that she hadn't... ahh, now she saw they they put cloth around the horses' hooves to muffle the sound.

"Your Grace," she curtsied, then she offered him her hand and they left the Kingsguard with the horses.

"Lady Joanna is waiting for you, Your Grace," she whispered to the King.

"Lady Lannister," the King was whispering as well. "To who are you loyal to? And why are you doing this?"

"Your Grace, you can trust me to never betray Lady Joanna. You can trust in the fact that I neither respect nor have any love toward Tywin Lannister."

"Can I ask why, Lady Lannister." "My mother was from House Reyne of Castamere. I am unsure if Tywin is aware of this or not, but Lady Joanna is, and she never agreed with her then betrothed's action – he should have spared those who had no hand in Lady Ellyn Reyne-Tarbeck's animosity toward House Lannister."

" _ _Aerys__."

" _ _Joanna__."

Bella left them then and made sure they had cold refreshments brought later. She also made sure that the hunting party didn't return too early.

 ** _ *****10 Weeks Later*****_**

Joanna was pacing the room.

Maester Creylen sent a raven to King's Landing to the Lord of the Rock and Hand of the King, that his wife Lady Joanna was expecting a child.

Joanna was elated, because it was a high possibility that the child was Aerys's own. Still, she fretted.

"What if my child has Valyrian features, Bella?" Joanna asked her in a whisper.

"Unlikely, Joanna." Bella looked through the window, "Targaryen blood would have won out if your grandparent was a Dragon. But you are Lion through and through."

 ** _ *****266 AC 8. Month/Calli****_**

Tywin arrived just before Joanna gave birth and went back a week later. He was just around for the naming of the children. Joanna gave birth to twins: Cersei, a baby girl, with hair the color of spun gold and cat green eyes. But the shape of the baby's skull, her nose, and chin … was that of a Valyrian baby.

"Two golden haired, green-eyed babies," Bella muttered as her green gaze switched to the girl's twin, her younger brother Jaime.

"I'm glad – but Bella ..."

"It doesn't matter; there is no way to know for sure ..."

"Bella? What is it?"

"I saw Queen Shaera's daughter as she was stillborn – your daughter looks just like that babe.

" "It is __possible__ then, that ..."

" _ _It is__ , however, Jaime has pure Lannister looks."


End file.
